1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an analysis and validation system for provisioning or administering networks, such as, for example, activating service to a customer for a telecommunication network and/or internet administered network.
2. Description of the Background Art
The Internet is not a physical or tangible entity, but rather a giant network which interconnects innumerable smaller groups of linked computer networks. It is thus a network of networks. This is best understood if one considers what a linked group of computers--referred to here as a "network"--is, and what it does. Small networks are now ubiquitous (and are often called "local area networks"). For example, in many United States Courthouses, computers are linked to each other for the purpose of exchanging files and messages (and to share equipment such as printers) These are networks.
Some networks are "closed" networks, not linked to other computers or networks. Many networks, however, are connected to other networks, which are in turn connected to other networks in a manner which permits each computer in any network to communicate with computers on any other network in the system. This global Web of linked networks and computers is referred to as the Internet.
The nature of the Internet is such that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine its size at a given moment. It is indisputable, however, that the Internet has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years. In 1981, fewer than 300 computers were linked to the Internet, and by 1989, the number stood at fewer than 90,000 computers. By 1993, over 1,000,000 computers were linked. Today, over 9,400,000 host computers worldwide, of which approximately 60 percent located within the United States, are estimated to be linked to the Internet. This count does not include the personal computers people use to access the Internet using modems. In all, reasonable estimates are that as many as 40 million people around the world can and do access the enormously flexible communication Internet medium. That figure is expected to grow to 200 million Internet users by the year 1999.
Some of the computers and computer networks that make up the Internet are owned by governmental and public institutions, some are owned by non-profit organizations, and some are privately owned. The resulting whole is a decentralized, global medium of communications--or "cyberspace"--that links people, institutions, corporations, and governments around the world. The Internet is an international system. This communications medium allows any of the literally tens of millions of people with access to the Internet to exchange information. These communications can occur almost instantaneously, and can be directed either to specific individuals, to a broader group of people interested in a particular subject, or to the world as a whole.
The Internet had its origins in 1969 as an experimental project of the Advanced Research Project Agency ("ARPA"), and was called ARPANET. This network linked computers and computer networks owned by the military, defense contractors, and university laboratories conducting defense-related research. The network later allowed researchers across the country to access directly and to use extremely powerful supercomputers located at a few key universities and laboratories. As it evolved far beyond its research origins in the United States to encompass universities, corporations, and people around the world, the ARPANET came to be called the "DARPA Internet," and finally just the "Internet."
From its inception, the network was designed to be a decentralized, self-maintaining series of redundant links between computers and computer networks, capable of rapidly transmitting communications without direct human involvement or control, and with the automatic ability to re-route communications if one or more individual links were damaged or otherwise unavailable. Among other goals, this redundant system of linked computers was designed to allow vital research and communications to continue even if portions of the network were damaged, say, in a war.
To achieve this resilient nationwide (and ultimately global) communications medium, the ARPANET encouraged the creation of multiple links to and from each computer (or computer network) on the network. Thus, a computer located in Washington, D.C., might be linked (usually using dedicated telephone lines) to other computers in neighboring states or on the Eastern seaboard. Each of those computers could in turn be linked to other computers, which themselves would be linked to other computers.
A communication sent over this redundant series of linked computers could travel any of a number of routes to its destination. Thus, a message sent from a computer in Washington, D.C., to a computer in Palo Alto, Calif., might first be sent to a computer in Philadelphia, and then be forwarded to a computer in Pittsburgh, and then to Chicago, Denver, and Salt Lake City, before finally reaching Palo Alto. If the message could not travel along that path (because of military attack, simple technical malfunction, or other reason), the message would automatically (without human intervention or even knowledge) be re-routed, perhaps, from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, and then to Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and finally to Palo Alto. This type of transmission, and re-routing, would likely occur in a matter of seconds.
Messages between computers on the Internet do not necessarily travel entirely along the same path. The Internet uses "packet switching" communication protocols that allow individual messages to be subdivided into smaller "packets" that are then sent independently to the destination, and are then automatically reassembled by the receiving computer. While all packets of a given message often travel along the same path to the destination, if computers along the route become overloaded, then packets can be re-routed to less loaded computers.
At the same time that ARPANET was maturing (it subsequently ceased to exist), similar networks developed to link universities, research facilities, businesses, and individuals around the world. These other formal or loose networks included BITNET, CSNET, FIDONET, and USENET. Eventually, each of these networks (many of which overlapped) were themselves linked together, allowing users of any computers linked to any one of the networks to transmit communications to users of computers on other networks. It is this series of linked networks (themselves linking computers and computer networks) that is today commonly known as the Internet.
No single entity--academic, corporate, governmental, or non-profit--administers the Internet. It exists and functions as a result of the fact that hundreds of thousands of separate operators of computers and computer networks independently decided to use common data transfer protocols to exchange communications and information with other computers (which in turn exchange communications and information with still other computers). There is no centralized storage location, control point, or communications channel for the Internet, and it would not be technically feasible for a single entity to control all of the information conveyed on the Internet.
As discussed below in detail, because of the Internet's inherent distributiveness with respect to, for example, implementing hardware, users and/or administering institution, there are various ways to gain access thereto. One common denominator that applies no matter how diverse the characteristics of the Internet is that all users, either direct or indirect, require some form of identification, name, telephone number and the like, to communicate with others. If a user does not have some sort of identification, others will be unable to communicate or send messages.
Thus, it is clear that users must be able to obtain or use an identification in a manner that is useful, i.e., substantially unique. To date, we are unaware of any systematic manner in provisioning these types of identifications (e.g., domain names, user names, user identifications (IDs), and the like) to facilitate the provisioning process. Rather, most attempts have been in the field of telecommunications.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,517, issued Nov. 1, 1988 discloses a system that allows a user to provide new service to existing terminations in a telephone network. A server having program sequences for controlling its operation connects the terminations and the telephone network. The server monitors the occurrence of a request event at one of the terminations. A processor, distinct from the server, controls the server by accessing a directly accessible database to extract a state transition rule to provide control information corresponding to the response event. Information is returned to the terminations in response to the control information. The database storing the state transition rules is directly accessible by the user for changing the state transition rules to modify the services without changing the program sequences of the server.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,511, issued Apr. 30, 1991 discloses a system that provides special service in telephone networks, particularly with respect to call forwarding. An adjunct computer is associated with a Remote Memory Administration System (RMAS) for switches which include a facility for providing special services such as call forwarding. The adjunct computer is inserted between the RMAS and the switches which it controls and responds to a request for special services. The processor determines the identity of the subscriber station that is to receive the requested service and the nature of the service. A programming signal is generated and transmitted to the switch to which the station is connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,519, issued Nov. 1, 1988 discloses a method and apparatus for enhancing the operation of an existing central office in a telephone switching system to provide extended subscriber service. The system relates to existing central office equipment that is incapable of adequately providing "equal access" and other extended subscriber features to non-conforming central offices. The operating capabilities of these offices are enhanced so that they can offer extended subscriber features, such as equal access, without replacing or upgrading existing technology.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,461, issued Feb. 4, 1992 discloses a method and apparatus for providing switching equipment, such as 1ESS or 1AESS telephone switching office equipment which are stored program controlled switches, with the capability of controlling the connection management and disconnection of telephone circuits using Signaling System #7(SS7) protocols.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,199, issued Nov. 4, 1980 discloses a special services add-on specifically adapted for use in dial pulse activated switching offices such as a step by step office. The add-on is a stored program, processor based system that can be put on a line-by-line basis, independent of subscriber line assignments. The add-on provides special service such as incoming call alert, call conferencing, call forwarding, tone dialing abbreviated dialing, instant recall, etc.
One example of provisioning network facilities is illustrated in FIGS. 1-12. FIG. 1 is diagram illustrating the basic structure or arrangement of the customer and telephone company facilities for providing telephone service or connection between a telephone caller and a telephone receiver destination. As illustrated in FIG. 1, telephone sets 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e represent different addresses or customer locations which receive and initiate telephone calls. In order for a customer location or address to establish or receive telephone service, each location or address must be physically connected to a central switching office or central office (CO) 3a, 3b, 3c via a physical copper cable pair or fiber optic cable. The cable pair which connects customer locations 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e often require intermediary connections via cross connect devices 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e. In this situation, there may be several legs of cable pairs 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e between cross connect devices 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e. The combinations of cable pairs which connect the customer location to the serving CO is commonly referred to as "outside plant". Central offices 3a, 3b, 3c are connected together via trunk lines 7a, 7b.
Once the customer location is connected to the CO via an in-coming frame at the CO 3a, 3b, 3c, the customer location must also be allocated office equipment (OE) which may be necessary to provide digital or analog service for the features requested by the customer location. For example, the customer may request such features as call waiting or call forwarding which require different OE or different configurations of OE in CO 3a, 3b, 3c, depending on whether analog or digital equipment is required. Once the customer location is able to access the CO, the customer location may be connected via a CO to another customer location serviced by the same CO, such as customer location la calling customer location 1b which is connected or switched by CO 3a. Alternatively, the customer location may be connected to another customer location which is serviced by a different CO. For example, customer location 1c will be connected to customer location 1e via COs 3band 3c, and cable trunk 7b.
The combination of outside plant and OE which is allocated or "provisioned" for a customer location is typically referred to as customer facilities which are always associated with the customer location until the customer location decides to disconnect service, e.g., the customer location moves from one calling area to another calling area. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 1, the arrangement of the outside plant and OE can become extremely complicated, particularly in view of the quantity of customer facilities which must be provisioned for each customer location. Further, the provisioning or assignment of customer facilities is further complicated with the typical or standard desire to conserve or reuse customer facilities as efficiently as possible. As will be discussed in detail below, we have discovered that this insistence on conserving customer facilities has resulted in excessive and unnecessary work which the present invention is directed at eliminating.
The current state of the art of provisioning of residential services to customers of PSTNs, i.e., customer facilities, follows a series of steps not conceptually different from the steps that were followed in a manual provisioning environment some thirty years ago. The individual work steps have been mechanized, and the mechanized steps have been connected with interfaces, but the steps have not basically changed. The common sequence of such steps is illustrated in FIG. 2. FIGS. 3-5 provide a more detailed flow chart illustration of this methodology. FIG. 6 shows system architecture.
Referring to FIG. 3 a Customer service representative of the Telco at 10 determines the reason for the call and the address of the caller or customer. The call may be for ordering service, making bill payment arrangements, registering a deposit, or calling for service maintenance. If the customer is calling for new service or a change to existing service the representative proceeds to the next step 12. Here the representative gathers the customer information such as the calling party's name, the customer's name, the service address, the billing name, and billing address. The representative determines how the customer wishes the service to be listed, the numbers and types of directories, calling cards, and any disclosures that are requested by the customer.
In the next step 14 the credit history of the customer is checked using internal and external data sources. At 16 the service representative takes the customer service address information provided and uses a PREMIS (Premis Information System) processor. PREMIS is an on-line address-based system used by service representatives for service order negotiation. It provides street address, Living Unit (LU), previous credit status, equal access carrier data, facility availability, and Telephone Number (TN) selection capabilities. PREMIS provides storage and retrieval of Street Address Guide (SAG) information, Living Unit (LU) information, Facility Assignment (FA) information, Telephone Number (TN) selection, repetitive debt customer information, and other information. At 16 the service representative uses PREMIS to verify the address, determine the working status of service at the address, and determines the serving wire center and other common address information such as community and tax codes. Based on the wire center serving the customer, the service representative is able to determine what services are available to the customer.
At 18 service is negotiated with the customer, matching the customer needs with the available products and services. The first service that is negotiated is basic service which will determine the calling plan for the customer. This is followed by the negotiation of toll services and other optional services such as touch tone, custom calling services and maintenance plans. At 20 the due date for installation is negotiated and scheduled. At 22 a Telephone Number is selected from the PREMIS or Service Order Processor (SOP) systems. This Telephone Number will be based on the wire center serving the area and the availability of the TN.
Before ending the call with the customer, the service representative at 24 recaps the service request to insure that the customer order accurately reflects the customer's requirements. The service order is then issued or released at 26 to the SOP. The SOP checks the order for format accuracy and determines what centers or systems should receive the service order. The service order is then distributed to the systems and centers at 28.
Referring to FIG. 4 the service order is next received by the Service Order Analysis and Control System (SOAC). The order is validated and checked for format accuracy 30. At 32 an initial determination is made for orders that might require manual work or testing. If the order might require work or testing a planning message is sent to the Work and Force Administration/Dispatch Out (WFA/DO) system at 33. WFA/DO system makes the final determination as to whether a dispatch or testing is required. At 34 the Service Order Control system determines if loop facilities are required for the order. This is based on Universal Service Order Codes (USOC) and Field Identifiers (FID) on the order. If a loop facility is required an assignment request (AR) is prepared and sent to the Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS). This assignment request is made at 36 and contains the address, order number, telephone number, and date due. An outside plant equivalency code (OEC) is also sent in the request that has been determined based on the type of service. The OEC designates the type of facility required for the request.
At 38 the address is first matched with addresses in the Loop Facility inventory system. If there is an address match, the status of the living unit is checked to insure that there is not already working service at the address. The terminal address is then determined. Once the address and terminal address have been verified, a network facility matching the request is selected at 40. After the facility is selected the information in the form of an assignment request response (ARR) is sent back to the Service Order Control system at 42.
The Service Order Control system determines switch equipment requirements, prepares the request and sends an assignment request to the Switch Inventory system at 44, such as SWITCH or COSMOS, discussed below in detail. The assignment request is received by the Switch Inventory system from the Service Order Control system at 46. This request will contain information as to the type of switch facilities required, the loop facility that must be connected, the telephone number, the service order number, and the date due.
At 48 the loop facility and telephone number received in the assignment request are verified with the Switch Inventory system data. The status of each is checked to insure that the request can be completed as requested.
The switch equipment is selected at 50 based on the requested switch facility, the loading of the switch and the jumper length to be connected between the OE and the outside cable facility. The selection also will determine if an existing jumper has been left in place. Based on these criteria, switch equipment is selected. The switching equipment which is typically used involves a stored program control switch (SPC) such as a SESS, DMS-100, or 1AESS switch.
After the selection of switch equipment, the information is sent to the Service Order Control system at 52. The Service Order Control system assembles the information received from the Loop Facility Inventory System and the Switch Inventory system at 54. This information is formatted as an assignment section and placed on the service order. The assigned Service Order (SO) is then sent to the SOP at 56. The SOP determines where the service order should be sent and distributes the service order at 58.
At 60 the Service Order Control system also sends the assigned service order to the Work and Force system. At 74 work is performed as required. That is, if other work in the field or in the central office is required, this work is completed and reported back to the appropriate center or system. Work may include placing jumpers in the central office or in the loop facilities, connecting the customer to the network and placing inside wiring and jackwiring and jacks at the customer premise.
After completion of the service request the completion information is sent to the SOP at 76. This information may include the completion time and date, any changes to the service order and any billing information that needs to be added for time and material charges.
The Service Order Control system determines if memory administration is involved in the request and if so determines if it has the required information to prepare a translation packet to send to the Memory Administration System (MAS) at 62. The translation packet is then created. If a translation packet cannot be prepared an image of the service order is prepared. The translation packet or the service order image is then sent to the Memory Administration System at 64.
The TP or SOI is received and validated in the Memory Administration System at 66. The Memory Administration System validates the TP/SOI and determines what needs to be done to complete the request.
At 68 the Memory Administration System (MAS) creates a machine readable Recent Change (RC) message specific to the switch to receive the message. The Recent Change (RC) message is created to match the vendor specific switch type and generic. The RC message is then sent to the switch at a designated time at 70 and the switch is updated at 72.
Referring to FIG. 5, the SOP receives the completion information at 78 and prepares the completed service order for distribution at 80. At 82 the SOP determines the distribution of the service order and the completed service order is distributed to all systems requiring the information. Thus, as indicated at 84, the service order is sent to a number of systems including Loop Maintenance, Billing, Directory, and E-911. The service order is also sent back to the Service Order Control system at 86 to update the status of the facilities from Pending Connect or Disconnect to Working or some idle status. At 88 the Service Order Control system receives the completed service order and validates the format of the information.
The Service Order Control system determines the network requirements at 90. In this case, since the order is completed, the requirement is to change the status of the facilities from Pending Connect to Working. If the request was for a disconnect this would change from Pending Disconnect to Disconnected.
At 92 the Assignment Request is sent to the Loop Facility system. The Loop Facility system matches information received in Assignment Request with existing facility data and at 94 updates the status of the facility from Pending Connect to Working or from Pending Disconnect to Disconnected. At 96 an Assignment Request Response is sent to the Service Order Control system. At 98 switch facility requirements are determined. In this case, the requirement is to change the status of the facility from Pending Connect to Working or from Pending Disconnect to Disconnect.
At 100 an Assignment Request to the Switch Inventory system is sent to update the status of the facility and the Telephone Number. The Assignment Request is received from the Service Order Control system at 102 and the appropriate status changes are made. The status of the facility and the Telephone Number are changed. The Status Inventory system inventories and administers the use in aging of telephone numbers. When a telephone number is disconnected, it will be aged for a specified period of time before being reused. After the status of the switch facility and telephone number have been completed, a confirmation is sent to the Service Order Control system at 104.
Referring to FIG. 6 there is shown typical architecture for carrying out the above described methodology. The Service Order Processor (SOP) is shown at 106. The SOP obtains the information from the customer calling for service and obtains the previously described information from Premis Information System (PREMIS) 108 upon the SOP initiating a request to PREMIS. That information is put on the service order which goes from the SOP to the Facility Assignment Control System (FACS) 113 which is an automated facility assignment system which automatically assigns loop facilities and office equipment to a subscriber address to provide telephone service. This assignment of loop or outside plant facilities and office equipment is in response to the provisioning request or service order generated by SOP 106.
FACS is an automated facilities assignment system which attempts to optimize the use of loop facilities and office equipment including jumper cables to minimize the amount of unused inventory and cost to the telephone service provisioning company. FACS, an on-line computer system, administers, inventories, and assigns the complete circuit from the customer's premises to the local serving office. FACS is the primary automated support for the provisioning work group since it keeps track of all interconnections and segments (working and available). FACS works by maintaining inventories of outside plant (OSP) and central office (CO) facilities and using the data to make assignments. FACS is a collection of computer systems which have been previously discussed in connection with FIGS. 4-5, and which is further discussed in greater detail with respect to FIG. 6.
The first system in FACS 113 which receives the service order is the Service Order Analysis and Control system (SOAC) 110. SOAC is the controller of service order flow within FACS and handles most of the interfaces between FACS and other systems, such as the Service Order Processor (SOP). SOAC reads the assignment affecting sections of the service order line by line and determines if FACS can process the order. If the assignment requirements can be determined, FACS automatically assigns the service order. If SOAC reads a Field Identifier (FID) or Universal Service Order Code (USOC) that is beyond FACS' capability, the service order is sent to the service provisioning work center for manual intervention using perhaps LOMS. SOAC also detects errors that are routed back to the originator for correction.
If SOAC can completely interpret the service order, it builds Assignment Requests (ARs) which are sent to LFACS and WM/COSMOS or SWITCH to request outside plant facilities and central office facility assignments, respectively. After assignments are made, SOAC receives Assignment Request Responses (ARRs) from LFACS and WM/COSMOS, merges and formats this data into a service order assignment section and automatically returns it to the Service Order Processor (SOP).
SOAC tracks all service orders and network rearrangements such as Line and Station Transfers (LSTs) through completion or cancellation. Status information is maintained on all service requests as well as the service order image and relevant data that results from processing.
SOAC also includes the capability of supporting multiple SOACs residing on the same machine, different machines, or a combination of both. This capability is called SOAC Tandem. For orders that contain wire centers supported by more than one SOAC, SOAC Tandem provides tracking of all involved SOACs and the linking of assignment data generated by all involved SOACs. Hence, the SOP only needs to communicate with one SOAC for any multi-SOAC order.
A service order is sent to the appropriate SOAC by the SOP based on the header wire centers (for non-TFS involved orders) or the Circuit Administrative Area (for TFS involved orders). Note: TFS (Trunk Facility System) is a generic term for a system such as TIRKS. The particular SOAC that receives the service order determines other potentially involved SOACs based on the wire centers and/or NPA-NXXs appearing on the order. If there is more than one potentially involved SOAC, the SOAC that receives the order in the controlling SOAC for the order and the other potentially involved SOACs are called the subordinate SOACs.
Current SOAC processing takes place in each involved SOAC to generate the necessary assignments for the wire centers involved in the SOAC. Each involved SOAC sends it SOP status and assignment data to the controlling SOAC. The controlling SOAC tracks and sequences all responses sent back by all involved SOACs. When at least all solicited responses or any subsequent unsolicited responses have been received by the controlling SOAC, the controlling SOAC analyzes the statuses and determines the appropriate response (if any) to return to the SOP. Assignment data returned by involved SOACs is linked by the controlling SOAC before it is sent to the SOP.
Besides communicating with the SOP, the controlling SOAC is also responsible for communicating with all other order level SOAC interfaces, such as TFS.
SOAC also records the pass of a service order. The pass identifies the current phase of the order as determined by the service order issuance group. There are five pass types as described below:
1. Pre-completion (PRE)--The initial issuance of a service order. PA1 2. Correction (COR)--A change to the initial service order prior to completion in the SOP. PA1 3. Post Completion (PCN)--Notification that the service order has been completed without corrections in the SOP. PA1 4. Completion with Correction (CPC)--A completion notice that identifies changes made to the service order at the time it was worked. This pass also completes the service order in the SOP. If a CPC pass is sent and SOAC detects that the changes may affect assignment, SOAC sends a notice to the service provisioning work center. IF necessary, the user updates the LFACS and/or COSMOS/SWITCH databases. PA1 5. Cancellation (CAN)--notification that the service order has been cancelled. PA1 Installation Force Management, PA1 Order tracking, PA1 Work assignment and dispatch, PA1 Field-force coordination and progress tracking, PA1 Force planning, PA1 Prepost completion dispatch testing, and PA1 Completion notification to the service order centers and to the customer when required. PA1 receiving at the attendant station a request for service;determining the reason for the request and customer information including customer name and service address; PA1 checking credit; PA1 using the customer information to determine from the AP the facility and services available; PA1 selecting a TN from the AP; PA1 recapping the service request with the customer; PA1 determining if the service request is eligible for handling by the AP; PA1 if not eligible, issuing a service order; PA1 if eligible, initiating processing by the AP; PA1 determining in the AP whether Work and Force Administration (WFA) action is necessary, and if so, preparing and dispatching a message to WFA; PA1 determining in the AP whether a Memory Administration System (MAS) is involved and, if so, creating a Translation Packet (TP) and sending the TP to the MAS; PA1 creating a Recent Change (RC) message in response to the TP and dispatching the message to the switch or other intelligent controller (IC); PA1 updating the data in the AP in response to confirmation of completion of the WFA action and the switch translation; PA1 generating and dispatching a completion message from the AP to the SOP; and PA1 preparing a completed service order for distribution and distributing the same.
SOAC reads the changes on each new pass of a service order. If a COR pass is sent and changes are needed on the assignment, FACS attempts to automatically reassign the service with the necessary changes.
The service order is parsed out by SOAC and a determination is made as to whether there is a loop facility required for the order. An Assignment Request (AR) is made to the Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) 112 where a loop facility is requested for the specified address. LFACS maintains a mechanized inventory of outside plant facilities, (e.g., facility addresses, cables, cable pairs, serving terminals, cross connection devices, loops, etc.) and assigns the outside plant facilities to ARs (Assignment Requests) received from SOAC as a result of customer service order activity. LFACS sends this assignment back to SOAC via ARRs. LFACS also generates work sheets for cable transfers and reconcentrations. These activities are updated mechanically upon notification of completion.
In addition, LFACS changes existing loop inventory with maintenance change activity and facility modifications via transactions input into the system by the user. Information once contained in Dedicated Plant Assignment Cards (DPAC) and Exchange Customer Cables Records (ECCR) for use in the manual assignment process is now maintained in an automated data base. As a consequence of assignment requests from the Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) system or inquiries from Loop Assignment Center (LAC) personnel, LFACS applies appropriate algorithms to information contained in the data base in order to provide appropriate responses.
The LFACS assignment process consists of two parts: the blocking function and the assignment function. The blocking function identifies the serving terminal. The automatic assignment function uses information provided by the blocking function in conjunction with an assignment algorithm appropriate for the type of service requested. The automatic assignment function can select reserved, connect-through, committed and spare pairs. Given that an assignment cannot be made in one of the above ways, a pair can be selected by breaking a connect-through which has remained idle for longer than a specified time period (averaged), performing a line and station transfer, breaking an underaged connect-through or some combination of these. The order of the selection of pairs is controlled by parameters specified at the terminal or wire center level. In addition to automatic processing, LFACS supports a capability which allows a user to manually select and assign any OSP facilities.
The LFACS administration of circuit terminations and facilities allows for single-loop single-line circuit terminations, multi-loop single-line circuit terminations, and multi-party circuit terminations with the use of appropriate bridging rules. Two or more circuit terminations may share a common facility (i.e., cross-box or field bridging).
LFACS supports the assignment and administration of multiple outside plant, dedicated outside plant, and serving area concept. This includes the specific types of hardware associated with each type of administration. The LFACS assignment function processes customer initiated inward, outward and change activity for circuit terminations.
SOAC matches the address from PREMIS to a possible address in LFACS. If a match is found it proceeds with processing by matching that to a terminal serving the address. It then begins to select a pair back to the central office. Once this is completed the Assignment Request Response (ARR) is sent back to SOAC and the loop part of the connection is fixed.
SOAC makes an assignment request to Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) or SWITCH 114 via Work Manager (WM) 116 or SWITCH 118. The WM links COSMOS to the other FACS components. Inquiries and transactions to COSMOS are sent through the WM which controls the load level of the message delivered to COSMOS. If COSMOS fails, the WM stores the ARs (Assignment Requests) generated by SOAC during the down time and distributes them to COSMOS when it is restored.
COSMOS maintains an inventory of central office facilities (e.g., office equipment (OE), tie pairs (TP), bridge lifters (BL), telephone numbers (TN). COSMOS assists the Network Administration (NAC) and Frame Control Centers (FCC) in managing, controlling, and utilizing main distributing frame and central office equipment, facilities, and circuits. The system performs preferential assignment of line equipment, frame jumper reuse, tie pair management for Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), frame work management and includes extensive reporting capabilities.
COSMOS receives ARs from SOAC after a successful LFACS assignment and automatically assigns line equipment and certain miscellaneous central office equipment. COSMOS responds back to SOAC with ARRs. Cable transfers and reconcentrations generated by LFACS are automatically established in COSMOS. These transactions can be manually input into COSMOS if necessary. The SWITCH system is an operations system to inventory and assign central office switching equipment and related facilities. It allows companies to provision, efficiently and economically, a network that is comprised of both digital and analog technologies. The SWITCH system provides improved computing methodology and a new database structure to support quick incorporation of new technological developments and to accommodate differences in technology between vendors. The SWITCH system will support digital and other new technologies/services in a single, integrated, flow-through provisioning system. In particular, the SWITCH system is designed to handle more sophisticated digital equipment and services, such as ISDN inventory and assignment requirements, and to facilitate ISDN flow-through provisioning. The SWITCH system is also designed to support inventory and flow-through assignment capabilities as appropriate for digital overlay networks and integrated digital facilities.
The SWITCH system will provide integrated inventory and flow-through assignment control for circuit switches, packet switches, ISDN switches, derived channel technologies, and for any associated transmission equipment and intra-office facilities (e.g., tie pairs) required to support the provisioning of these switches and technologies. SWITCH is designed to support integrated line and trunk side provisioning requirements and will ultimately replace and expand both COSMOS and TAS functionality.
COSMOS or SWITCH takes the facility that it obtained from LFACS and tries to find a match. Also PREMIS selects a Telephone Number and COSMOS attempts to match the facility, the F1 facility, and the Telephone Number. If a match is secured it assigns office equipment.
After SOAC gets the service order and determines what to do and sends the assignment request to LFACS, it sends a planning message to the Work and Force Administration/Dispatch Out (WFA/DO) 120 and provides notification that there is a need to make a determination if there is any outside work to be done. After the assignment request response has come back from COSMOS, information is sent to Memory Administration Check System (MARCH) 122 for memory administration work and it is also sent to an outside plant memory administration system, such as the Bellcore system Outside Plant System/Intelligent Network Element System (OPS/INE), or the Remote Intelligent Distribution Element Support System (RIDES) 124 which handles the fiber electronics, if required. A Work Manager (WM) 126 is disposed between SOAC and MARCH. After the assigned service order is received at WFA/DO a mechanized loop test is initiated by the Loop Maintenance Operation System (LMOS) 128 or a similar standard facility maintenance data base system. After the service is completed, the LMOS host 130 will receive a completed service order for record maintenance. Service orders that do not automatically flow through the provisioning process fall out of automatic processing and are managed by the LAC Operations Management System (LOMS) 132. LOMS assists the Mechanized Loop Assignment Center (MLAC) in management of Requests for Manual Assistance (RMAs). The primary function of LOMS includes the creation of work packages for assignment personnel and monitoring the flow of orders through FACS and the service provisioning work group. This state of the art provisioning process may require up to two days to complete.
Two important work centers interface with FACS. These work groups are the Frame Control Center (FCC), and the Installation Control Center (ICC).
The FCC is responsible for the administrative, force control, work control, and analysis functions associated with the installation and maintenance of cross-connects of loop, special service, carrier, and message trunk circuits and their associated activities in central offices. The center is responsible or providing related order status and work completion information to the support systems, COSMOS and the TIRKS system, or to Order or Circuit Control Centers. The centers will also be responsible for the support of facility maintenance, sectionalization and/or substitution of facilities in connection with failures detected by routing testing or customer complaints.
The ICC has responsibility for and performs the administrative functions associated with work activities including:
The ICC performs these functions for installation work groups, which are the field forces responsible for installation of the service drop, protector, network channel terminating equipment, network terminating work, and network interface. The ICC interfaces with FACS through WFA/DO the Work and Force Administration/Dispatch-out system. This interface is optional and is not installed in all companies. Where WFA/DO and its interface to FACS do not exist, the ICC gets its information from FACS as a function of the normal service order flow. The WFA/DO interface speeds the process and provides additional automation to assist the work in the ICC.
As discussed above, FACS is designed to optimize the assignment or provisioning of customer facilities. Accordingly, FACS will often reuse customer facilities in order to achieve the main objectives of FACS which is to conserve customer facilities, i.e., outside plant or OE. FIG. 7 is a detailed diagram of outside plant facilities for a first combination of customer locations. As illustrated in FIG. 7, customer locations 201, 203, 205 are connected to central office 200 via different combinations of outside plant facilities including cable pairs 202a, 204a, 206a and cable pairs 202b, 204b, 204c via cross connect devices 208 and 210. Customer location 201 is connected to CO 200 via cable pair 206a and terminal 210a in cross connect device 208. Customer location 203 is connected to CO 200 via cable pair 204a and cable pair 204b by connecting cable 212b which connects terminals 210b and 214b in cross connect device 208, and terminal 218b in cross connect device 216. Finally, customer location 205 is connected to CO 200 via cable pair 202a and 202b by connecting cable 212c which connects terminals 210c and 214c in cross connect device 208, and cable 220c which connects terminals 218c and 222c in cross connect device 216. As can be seen, multiple cable pairs are installed or positioned along the area of customer locations 201, 203, 205, and not all of the cable pairs are utilized. This type of arrangement of outside plant facilitates the adaptability of outside plant to changing conditions of the various customer locations in the area of cross connect devices 208, 216.
FIG. 8 is a detailed diagram of outside plant facilities for a second combination of customer locations which has altered the first combination of customer locations. In FIG. 8, customer location 205 has been disconnected via a disconnect request executed by the Business Office and entered via a disconnect service order in the SOP. During the same relevant time period, a new service request has been initiated by customer 207 at the Business Office and entered via a new connect service order in the SOP.
Both the disconnect and new connect service orders are transmitted to SOAC which sends each of the requests to LFACS for outside plant provisioning. Since, as indicated above, LFACS will attempt to optimize outside plant facilities by minimizing the outlay of new cable pairs and reuse of existing outside plant facilities, LFACS will often break the existing connection 212c in cross connect device 208 at 224, and reassign terminal 210c to the new customer location 207. A work order is then issued for an installer to make the appropriate changes to the outside plant facilities.
FIG. 9 is a detailed diagram of office equipment facilities for a first combination of customer locations. In FIG. 9, stored programmed control switch 230 will connect incoming telephone calls to destinations by connecting the incoming call to, for example, different central office frames which will be described. For example, an incoming telephone call may arrive in the central office in frame 246c at frame location 248c. Frames 246a, 246b, 246c, 246d may be located in a first floor of the central office building 245.
The incoming call is then transferred to frame location 242c in frame 240c bearing the office equipment used to provide the specific calling features requested by the customer location. Frames 240a, 240b, 240c may be located on a separate floor 241 of the central office. The cables 244a, 244b, 244c which connect frames 246a, 246b, 246c, 246d to frames 240a, 240b, 240c are commonly referred to as "jumper" cables. Frames 240a, 240b, 240c are then connected to switch 230 at switch connections 236a, 236b, 236c via cables 238a, 238b, 238c. From switch connections 236a, 236b, 236c, the incoming call may be transferred to another customer location or to another central office via, for example, trunk frame 235 at location 234 from switch location 232. Note that frames 246a, 246b, 246c, 246d and frames 240a, 240b, 240c may be located on different floors of the central office 241, 245.
FIG. 10 is a detailed diagram of office equipment facilities for a second combination of customer locations which has altered the first combination of customer locations. In FIG. 10, a first customer location which utilized the OE on frame 246b at location 248b has been disconnected via a disconnect request executed by the Business Office and entered via a disconnect service order in the SOP. During the same relevant time period, a new service request has been initiated by another customer at the Business Office and entered via a new connect service order in the SOP. The second customer has been provisioned on frame 246b at location 254.
Both the disconnect and new connect service orders are transmitted to SOAC which sends each of the requests to COSMOS or SWITCH for office equipment provisioning, depending on the particular type of stored programmable switching equipment. Since, as indicated above, COSMOS or SWITCH will attempt to optimize office equipment facilities by minimizing the use of new office equipment, minimize the length of jumpers between frames, and reuse existing office equipment facilities, COSMOS or SWITCH will often not reuse the existing connection 244b at 250, and reassign a new jumper cable 252 for the second customer location. A work order is then issued to the central office for frame installers to make the appropriate changes to the office equipment facilities.
FIG. 11 is a detailed diagram of office equipment facilities for a first combination of customer locations. FIG. 11 illustrates the various connections within a frame at the central office. In FIG. 11, frame 254 connects three customer locations at entrance points 256a, 256b, 256c to office equipment connected to out going frame locations 260a, 260b, 260c via jumper cables 258a, 258b, 258c. Jumper cables 258a, 258b,258c are to some extent disorganized, and longer than necessary, thereby inefficiently utilizing jumper cable facilities.
In order to correct the problem of inefficient allocation or provisioning of jumper cables, COSMOS or SWITCH in the FACS provisioning system will reorganize the jumper cables as illustrated in FIG. 12. Thus, frame 254 will connect customer entrance points 262a, 262b, 262c to office equipment accessed by cables 266a, 266b, 266c via jumpers 264a, 264b, 264c, thereby minimizing the jumper length and conserving use of the jumper cables. Accordingly, a frame installer will be dispatched to make the necessary changes to frame 254.
While the above goals of maximizing reuse of customer facilities including outside plant facilities and office equipment facilities has been a long standing and traditional objective or goal of all telephone companies for over one hundred years, we have discovered that the benefits of reusing customer facilities, including identification, are not sufficient to outweigh the disadvantages of requiring the necessary alterations to customer facilities.
In addition, we have discovered that in the overwhelming majority of situations, when a customer disconnects communication service, for example, when a customer discontinues use or is moving to a different location, another customer or the same customer will typically move into the previous customer location and request new communication service which is typically compatible with the previous customer facilities.
We have further discovered that it is more beneficial to maintain the existing connections to customer facilities and/or identification facilities for a particular customer location, since it is likely another customer will move into the disconnected customer location or the original customer will return in the near future, thereby eliminating the need to revise facilities.
We have also discovered that an important aspect of the above provisioning process is to be able to identify and handle service connection orders that might not automatically flow through the system for various problems, including, for example, data entry problems such as improper address entry. We have also discovered that it would be beneficial for service representatives to be able to access various facilities databases to verify and/or correct problems encountered relating to assigning facilities to a customer.
In addition, we have discovered that it would be beneficial for service representatives to be able to test the assigned communication facilities for which problems and/or manual assistance is required to verify whether assigned facilities are defective or operable.
We have also discovered that it is beneficial to provide the customer with a method of easily requesting the assignment of facilities, such as for example in a new connect, and have such request automatically provisioned or assigned by a facilities assignment system.